Graduate Admissions & Application Process

IMPORTANT INFO FOR MSC PSYCHOLOGY APPLICANTS

ADMISSIONS APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 15th, 2018. Applicants must apply and submit their supporting documentation by this date if they wish to be considered for admission for September 2019. This is also the deadline to be considered for the first round of internal funding.

IMPORTANT INFO FOR MSC BIOL & GEOL APPLICANTS

You MUST have the consent of a potential supervisor BEFORE you initiate your application. Having a supervisor in place is a requirement that must be met before beginning the application process for these two graduate programs only. Please consult the GEOLOGY or BIOLOGY website for a list of faculty members.

IMPORTANT INFO FOR MCD APPLICANTS

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the MCD program coordinator (Dr. John Colton) prior to applying to discuss potential supervisors. The acceptance of a qualified candidate is made primarily on the recommendation of the prospective supervisor.

IMPORTANT INFO FOR MSC APPLIED GEOMATICS APPLICANTS

Applicants can only apply to this program:

1. AFTER having completed the Diploma program at the College of Geographic Sciences (CoGS) in GIS, Remote Sensing or Marine Geomatics and an advanced diploma at the Applied Geomatics Research Group (NSCC Middleton Campus);2. When a supervisor at the NSCC Middleton campus has been confirmed;3. When a project has been confirmed; and4. When funding is in place

IMPORTANT INFO FOR M.ED. COUNSELLING APPLICANTS

Applications for the 2019 intake of the MEd Counselling program will be accepted commencing October 1st, 2018. All components of the application package MUST be received and/or clearly postmarked no later than December 1st, 2018.

The MEd Counselling program begins on the Acadia University campus the first week in July for both full-time and part-time cohorts. All courses for the full-time cohort are offered on campus.

Members of the part-time MEd Counselling cohort will complete courses on the Acadia University campus during the first three weeks in July over three consecutive summers. The remaining courses will be delivered in Halifax and are generally offered Friday evenings and Saturdays throughout the fall, winter, and spring semesters.

All students who are enrolled in the Master of Education in Counselling program at Acadia University must complete a full-semester, full-time practicum. Before being permitted to register in the practicum, each student must submit original records of the results of a Criminal Record Check, Vulnerable Sector Search, and Child Abuse Register Search. If any of these search results raise concern about potential risk to clients, the student will not be permitted to register in the practicum. Because the practicum is required for successful completion of the MEd Counselling program, non-eligibility to undertake a practicum means that the student would not be able to complete the program or graduate. Prospective applicants are advised to give serious consideration to this caveat before applying to Acadia's Master of Education in Counselling program.

The graduate application process is competitive. Applicants must have the equivalent of two (2) years of full-time, paid, relevant experience following completion of their four-year undergraduate degree. For more info on this requirement, please visit: https://med.acadiau.ca/faq.html

IMPORTANT INFO FOR IND APPLICANTS (Education courses)

An applicant can take up to four (4) courses as an independent student (IND) before applying to the M.Ed. program or while waiting for a decision on their M.Ed. application. For further information, please visit: http://med.acadiau.ca/home.html

IMPORTANT NOTE: Independent studies is only available to applicants interested in taking EDUC courses.

How to Apply

Applicants can fill out the application form ON-LINE at: http://www2.acadiau.ca/apply_graduate.htmlThere is a non-refundable $50.00 (CDN) processing fee required to apply. Please note that there are supporting documents also required for an application. Documents submitted in support of an application for admission are retained by the University and are not returned to the applicant. Please see further information in the below links.

Admissions Application Deadlines

Master of Arts, Master of Science (except MSc in Psychology) and Master in Community Development programs - February 1st is the deadline for applicants who wish to be considered for the first round of university funding. Other applications will be considered as received. ALL of these programs have a September start date. The MSc in BIOL, CHEM, and GEOL also have a start date of May (at the discretion of the dept). The MSc in GEOM, BIOL, CHEM, COMP, GEOL, and MATH also have a start date of January (at the discretion of the dept/school).

Master of Education in Counselling - December 1st. NOTE: Applications will only be reviewed after the deadline has passed. This program has an early July start each year.

Master of Science in Psychology - December 15th. This program has only a September start date.

Master of Education in Curriculum Studies, Inclusive Education and Leadership - February 1st is the deadline for those intending to start their program in the Spring/Summer. Decisions will be available no later than March 31st. May 1st is the deadline for applications for those intending to start their program in the Fall/Winter. Decisions will be available no later than August 1st. Applications will only be reviewed after the deadline has passed.

NOTE: These deadlines refer to the submission of a complete application package. If documents are not received by the deadline/or post-marked, it will be at the discretion of the dept/school in question whether a file will be considered.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS: Due to visa processing times, applicants applying from International countries may be subject to earlier deadlines than the ones listed above.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Admission to graduate programs is competitive and possession of the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Some departments and schools have additional requirements. Please consult the individual discipline entries in the University Academic Calendar.

Candidates for admission to the graduate programs of Acadia University must possess an honours degree, or a four-year bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, from an approved university. Those candidates possessing a major in a field other than that of their graduate program will normally be required to take sufficient undergraduate courses to make up the equivalent of an Acadia undergraduate major. Special consideration may be given to those candidates wishing to change from one undergraduate field to a related graduate one.

Candidates must have at least a B- average (70%) in the courses taken in the major field in the last two undergraduate years (or 60 credit hours) of university study, including coursework in undergraduate degree(s) and any graduate work completed.

The number of students admitted to our graduate programs is limited and possession of the minimum entrance requirements does not ensure admission. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Graduate Studies Officer by emailing gradadmissions@acadiau.ca.

After Applying On-Line for Admissions

When an on-line application has been received and processed, the applicant will be emailed instructions on how to log into their Acadia Central account (https://central.acadiau.ca/my/applications). From Central, applicants will be able to see the list of required documents needed to complete the admission file. An applicant will also be able to see when a decision has been made. Applicants can also click on the information below to find the list of required supporting documents and how the documents must be submitted. Documents received in a manner other than what is described below WILL NOT be accepted!

NOTE: Admission decision times vary from dept-to-dept.

Pursuing Part-Time Graduate Studies

The only part-time program offered to graduate students at Acadia on a regular basis is the Master of Education. MEd students pay tuition on a per course basis.

If interested in pursuing an MA/MSc degree part-time, please consult with the department/school in question to see if they can accommodate a request.

Documents required for specific programs

One (1) original, official transcript from EACH post-secondary institution attended (required for ALL applicants). This includes an official transcript from any exchange programs. Official is defined as being issued directly from the original institution. The transcripts can be provided to the applicant in a sealed university official envelope to be mailed with the other supporting documentation for an application OR the transcripts can be mailed directly from the institution to Acadia's Graduate Studies Office. If Acadia was a previous university attended, we do not require an official transcript from Acadia -- we will obtain that transcript from our system. We will not accept scanned/emailed copies of transcripts for assessment purposes.

Statement of Intent (only for MSc Psychology applicants). For information on what to include in the statement of intent, please see the Psychology section of the University Academic Calendar. If you've applied for a scholarship opportunity (ie. SSHRC/NSERC/CIHR), please include this info in your statement.

Departmental Information form (only required for MSc Computer Science applicants) --- form is located under the "Downloadable forms" section of this page.

Statement of Research Interests (required for all applicants except MEd)

Resume (required for ALL applicants to graduate studies)

Copy of Passport (for ALL international applicants --- only page 1 and 2 are required)

Two reference letters (specifically one academic and one professional for MEd programs only) OR three reference letters required for the MSc Psychology. Letters should be sent to the applicant in a sealed envelope that is signed across the flap OR they can be mailed directly to Acadia's Graduate Studies Office. IF a program requires the completion of a specific reference form, it can be found under the "Downloadable Forms" section below. Otherwise, the letter can be written on University/company letterhead. Letters of reference are to be received in SEPARATE, OFFICIAL envelopes from EACH referee.

ALL MSc in Psychology applicants --- General GRE results are required for all applicants. You can email a copy of your GRE scores to gradadmission@acadiau.ca while the original scores are being mailed directly from the Test Centre. If an applicant doesn't have the GREs at the time of application, please give the date to be written. For International applicants to the MSc in Psychology program, and/or applicants without a 4-yr honours degree in Psychology --- Subject GREs are also required.

Note: International Math and Stats applicants and Chemistry applicants MAY be required to submit GREs. If an applicant is required to submit the GREs, the dept will notify them when their application is under review.

For an M.Ed. in Counselling applicant, GREs MAY be required. Please see Question #9 on their FAQ document for further details.

Writing sample (required of applicants to the MA in English, Political Science, Social and Political Thought, Sociology and the Master in Community Development programs only). Minimum of 10 pages. A research essay completed for an upper level undergraduate course is appropriate, but the submitted copy should be free of instructors' marks and comments.

Official TOEFL/IELTS score if English has not been the language of instruction in your previous academic program. Please note that there are cases when the University will require a TOEFL/IELTS even though your language of instruction was English. You can also email a copy of your English score to gradadmission@acadiau.ca while the original score is being mailed directly from the Test Centre.

Documents to be emailed to Graduate Studies

Once the on-line application has been submitted and it's been processed, applicants will receive an automated email with their Acadia ID and instructions on how to login to Acadia Central. When logged in, applicants will see an email address attached to those supporting documents that can be emailed. The ONLY documents that are accepted by email are:

For International Applicants only: a copy of page 1 and 2 of the passport

When emailing the documents, applicants must ensure that their Acadia Student Number is entered in the subject line of the email. The documents must be sent as a Word or PDF attachment. Please email the above to: gradadmissions@acadiau.ca

IF APPLICABLE: You can also email a copy of your GRE scores and English Test scores to gradadmissions@acadiau.ca while we wait for the original scores to arrive from the Testing Centre.

The above mentioned documents can also be delivered by mail if that is more convenient. However, PLEASE only submit them once to cut down on the processing time required for each file.

Transcripts and letters of reference are NOT ACCEPTED by email.

Documents to be mailed to Graduate Studies

Applicants are responsible for MAILING, OR arranging to have mailed directly from the Institution, 1 (one) original, official transcript from EACH post-secondary institution attended. This includes an official transcript from any exchange programs.Official is defined as being issued directly from the original institution. The transcript(s) can be provided to the applicant in a sealed envelope to be mailed with the other supporting documentation for an application OR the transcript(s) can be mailed directly from the institution to Acadia's Graduate Studies Office. If Acadia was a previous university attended, an official transcript is not required --- we will obtain it from our system.

Applicants must also arrange for the required number of reference letters to be mailed. The letters can be provided to the applicant in a sealed envelope to be mailed with the other supporting documentation for an application OR can be mailed directly to Acadia's Graduate Studies Office. If there is a required reference form for the degree program, it will be found under the "Downloadable forms" section on this page. Otherwise, a letter on University/company letterhead will suffice. Letters are to arrive in SEPARATE, OFFICIAL envelopes from EACH referee.

Those that need to submit an English Test score (TOEFL/IELTS/CAEL) as part of their application, must arrange for the official score to be mailed from the Testing Centre.

Applicants are asked to submit their supporting documentation according to the instructions above. When the instructions are not followed, it takes additional time that can be spent on processing other applicant's documents.

Applicants can view the list of documents still required for their application by logging into their Acadia Central account (https://central.acadiau.ca/my/applications). Once an application is complete, by having followed the instructions, the application will be sent to the dept/school and processed with as much speed and care as possible.

Those applications that are not complete, are not processed.

Therefore, it is an applicant's responsibility to ensure that ALL supporting documentation required to complete an application is submitted by the deadline (see deadline dates in an above section). As stated above, a file is not assessed nor a decision made until all documents have been received.

Graduate Studies tries to process documents within 3 working days of their arrival; however, during the peak admission season (Oct-Feb) there may be a delay due to the high volume of mail, email, and phone calls. We would appreciate your patience during these times.

When documents have been processed, it will be reflected on Acadia Central.

Downloadable Forms

Reference form (for MEd applicants ONLY) - Two references are required: One academic reference from a recent instructor/teacher/professor; One professional reference from someone other than an instructor/teacher/professor who would be familiar with your work yet not a family member.NOTE REGARDING ACADEMIC REFERENCE: If you have not taken a course (undergraduate or graduate) in the last five years, you may substitute the required academic reference with a professional reference. This is the only circumstance in which two professional references are acceptable.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you applied for admission PRIOR to 2017-18 you will need to supply new letters of reference OR if you are reapplying to a M.Ed. program and your first (original) application was more than 1 year ago new reference letters are required.

**NOTE: ONLY the programs listed above have a specific reference form. ALL other applicants should advise their referees that we require the letter on their official letterhead.

**NOTE: Forms can be returned to the applicant in a sealed envelope with the originator's signature across the flap to be mailed in with their other supporting documents OR the forms can be mailed directly to the Division of Research and Graduate Studies, Box 70, 18 University Ave, 214 Horton Hall, Wolfville, NS, B4P 2R6

Additional Info for International Applicants

Depending upon your country of citizenship, it can take a very long time to get a student visa after you receive an offer of admission - up to six months in some cases. It is recommended that you apply as early as possible before the start date of your program to ensure enough time for visa processing.

Transcripts

All university transcripts need to be original official documents provided to you in sealed envelopes or sent directly to Acadia from the issuing institutions.

If it is not possible for the institution to produce another official transcript, they may make a copy of the original transcript and have them certify that the document is an accurate copy. The certified copy should then be provided to you in a sealed envelope or sent directly to Acadia from the issuing institution.

If your transcript must be translated into English and your institution does not provide translated documents, your transcript can be translated elsewhere and then brought back to your institution to be certified as an accurate copy. The certified translated copy should then be provided to you in a sealed envelope or sent directly to Acadia from the issuing institution.

In rare cases where a University will not provide a certified copy of a transcript, the Ministry of Education / Office of the Judiciary in that Country can certify the authenticity of the transcript. It would need to be submitted to Acadia in their official, sealed, stamped, envelope to be accepted.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

We do not accept notarized documents.

We do not accept transcripts by email.

We do not accept WES Evaluation Reports/Verification of Transcripts --- Acadia does their own assessment of the official application documents.

We do not require transcripts for your 10th or 12th year --- only the official transcripts after grade 12 and onward are required.

To view a list of minimum GPA admission requirements for specific International countries (A-Z) click here.

English Proficiency Requirement

Since English is the language of instruction at Acadia University, candidates must be able to communicate competently in English both orally and in writing, and students whose first language is not English may be required to present the result of the TOEFL, IELTS, or CAEL.

IMPORTANT NOTE:There are cases in which an applicant may have studied in English but it is not at the standard of Acadia University. In these cases, an applicant will be required to submit a English proficiency score.

Acadia's minimum graduate studies requirements are as follows:

IELTS (Academic ONLY!) - 6.5 overall with no subtest score below 6.0

TOEFL - 93 IBT with no subtest score below 20

CAEL - 70 overall with no subtest score below 60

PTE Academic - 61 with no subtest score below 60

Only English test scores sent directly from the Educational Testing Service to Acadia will be accepted. Acadia's number for submission is 0901.

We require a copy of page 1 and 2 of your passport at the time of application. These pages can be emailed to gradadmissions@acadiau.ca

As an international student contemplating graduate studies at Acadia University, you should be able to guarantee annual funding of $26,000 before you proceed with a student visa application.

The Halifax International Airport is 100 kilometres from the Acadia campus. This should be the final destination to which overseas flights are booked.

Once you have accepted your offer of admission, you should make contact with our. International Student Advisor in the Wong International Centre. Please email: international@acadiau.ca. An orientation program for new international students is held in late August or early September.